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 Happy Thanksgiving

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Miki and Pete Schulte

Pete Reviews Blink, David and Goliath, The Tipping Point, and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

An old co-worker of mine once said something to the effect of “I see a lot of kids going off to college, but I don’t see anybody getting any smarter.” I certainly hope that isn’t true, but if you want to get a little smarter, or at least feel that way momentarily, then I would suggest you read any or all of Malcolm Gladwell’s books. I would compare his books to seeing your favorite professor lecturing at college, or attending a book signing where the author is both entertaining and informative at the same time. Here are a few thoughts and summaries of four Gladwell books I’ve recently had the pleasure of reading.

Blink: This book is based upon split-second decision making, often on the subconscious level. Maybe it’s the feeling of love at first sight, or perhaps it’s that funny feeling you get when a stranger you meet might be up to no good. But we all have internalized biases, maybe based upon race, gender, class, looks, height, weight, etc… And these biases often times influence our gut feelings or intuitions, whether we know it on a conscious level or not. Sometimes our gut decisions are just flat out wrong. That said, if a bus is bearing down on you, please don’t stop and analyze either the driver’s possible intentions or weather conditions. Just go with your gut and get the hell out of the way.

David & Goliath: Most of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath. Goliath, the large fearsome soldier, was supposed to stomp on David, the little shepherd, in a battle to the death. But it’s David who inexplicably wins. The premise of David & Goliath is that David should have been the favorite all along. Read all about the many factors that play into this lopsided battle where the little guy comes out on top, and consider how just the same situations occur all the time in business, sports, education, and everyday life. Sometimes it really is true the ‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall.’

The Tipping Point: Ever wonder how a fad or a social trend seems to emerge out of nowhere?  A few cool people in New York City wearing a certain brand of shoes can ignite millions of dollars in sales, and then disappear completely from the market in just a couple of years. The Tipping Point examines how speedily ideas can travel across the country or even worldwide. But even more serious than shoes or fashion, suicides, school shootings, and crime rates -- either rising or falling -- all have their tipping points. I was reading this book while watching the World Series and noticed that seemingly half the teams looked like bearded lumberjacks or Civil War soldiers. Somebody started that heavily bearded look and it tipped into so many of the players. I wonder where it will go from here?

Outliers: This book studies a variety of successful people to see what makes them tick. It seems as if they share a lot in common. A great many of them utilized the 10,000 hour rule, which suggests that if you work or practice a task for 10,000 hours, you should develop a high level of expertise and maybe even be referred to as an expert or perhaps a genius in your field. While it’s true that a group such as the Beatles had a great deal of natural talent, they also plied their craft in Germany for a time, where often they played shows seven to ten hours a night every single day of the week (8 days a week -- so to speak). They knew how to play, how to sing, how to write. They developed expertise at music. The same can be said of Bill Gates in programming computers and Michael Jordan playing basketball. Surprisingly, very few of the successful ones did it on their own. Most had or have support systems such as family, friends, schools, and even cultural expectations. On the contrary, there are also some hidden geniuses out there that will never be recognized because they are without support or cannot effectively communicate their ideas. A person may be the smartest in the room, but perhaps a little too smart for their own good.  

Series of portraits of writers and artists continued...

#2 in Writers and Artists Series: Vincent and Paul. For a brief period,Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin were roommates.  Though their living situation did not end happily, they each went on to paint amazing masterpieces. The reason they have name tags in this painting is because they'd earlier engaged in speed-dating at the local cafe. Both were unsuccessful. 

#3 in Writers and Artists series. Portrait, Sylvia Plath. Granted, this looks nothing like Sylvia. Perhaps because I've never really read her. To rectify the situation, I am currently reading 'The Bell Jar' and enjoying it very much. 

The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. 

First in a series of portraits of writers and artists.

Albert Camus: Algerian-born writer of such classics as 'The Stranger' and 'The Plague.'